"Miss!" Sixing approached cautiously and glanced at Xiqiu, "You... are you all right?" Since Laiwang’s wife left in the afternoon, Sixth Miss had been staying in her room. Based on her understanding of Sixth Miss, there must be something bothering her. But she didn’t dare to ask, knowing that if Miss didn’t want to speak, she wouldn’t get an answer even if she asked.
Xiqiu smiled and said, "I’ll tell you about it later." She pointed at Siliu’s room and asked, "What’s going on?"
"It’s been several hours without a word, covering herself with the quilt without making a sound!" Sixing lowered her voice and hesitated before adding, "Looks like it’s because of Fugui. She usually seems carefree and happy, but she actually cares about this. Miss, what should we do?"
Siliu is always straightforward, with everything written on her face. She nodded and said, "Go bring the meal. Chunyan and I will go in and check on her."
Sixing nodded in agreement.
Chunyan stepped forward and lifted the curtain. Xiqiu stepped into Siliu’s room to find Siliu sprawled on the bed, the quilt covering her from feet to head, lying completely still. Xiqiu chuckled, walking to the edge of the kang bed and said, "This isn’t like Siliu’s usual behavior. If you have something on your mind, just speak it out. Why are you here torturing yourself?"
Whoosh! Siliu flung off the quilt, revealing her red eyes that still curved like crescents, and pouted, "Miss is here."
Chunyan brought a chair behind Xiqiu and hurriedly brewed tea. Xiqiu sat down, looked at Siliu, and said, "Have you been crying?" She couldn’t help but laugh.
"Miss, I’m really sad right now. You should at least comfort me, but you’re laughing instead." Siliu glared with wide eyes, looking adorably frustrated. Xiqiu laughed, pinching her cheek, and turned to Chunyan, "I wonder, with this demeanor, how she’ll be a wife or a mother one day."
Chunyan also laughed, nodding seriously, "I think Miss should keep her around and have her comb her hair and become a nanny. If she marries out , she might cause trouble for others."
It was just a joke, but Siliu’s eyes brightened, and she immediately became spirited, "How did I not think of this?" Siliu excitedly patted her forehead and said to Xiqiu, "Miss, I’ve decided that when the time comes, I’ll comb my hair and be like Nanny Fang, managing things in the house. How grand would that be!"
Xiqiu raised her eyebrows and teased, "Oh? Are you willing to let Fugui go?" Siliu pouted and replied, "What’s there to let go of or not? As a servant, I have no say. Whatever the mistress decides is what it will be. Fugui’s marriage will be decided by him, but I can’t. Why make things difficult for Miss?"
Xiqiu sighed, shaking her head, "You’ve thought so much, yet you’re thinking for others rather than yourself. Whether a woman marries or not isn’t important. What’s important is having control over your own fate. I fancy Manager Lai not because of his position, but because if you marry into his family, you’ll be free. That’s worth more than anything."
Chunyan also lowered her head silently, but Siliu, stubborn, replied, "I’ve been in the manor since childhood, accustomed to being a servant. If I truly were to take a break, who knows how uncomfortable I might be?" Xiqiu said nothing. Chunyan’s eyes flickered, and she poked Siliu’s head, "You money-minded girl, can’t you see that Manager Lai has worked here for so many years? He must have amassed quite a fortune. He only has one son, Fugui, so all this will be yours one day!"
"Really?" The words instantly touched Siliu’s weakness. Her eyes narrowed almost into Copper Coin shapes as she looked at Xiqiu, "Miss, is Chunyan telling the truth?" Xiqiu nodded with a smile, knowing Manager Lai must have quite an estate.
"That’s great!" Siliu laughed, "If I have money in the future, Miss won’t lack for anything. I can go out and buy whatever you need and even support you all." Speaking, her face lit up with a smile that suddenly froze.
Xiqiu asked, "Why did you stop all of a sudden?"
Siliu sighed, "This is just my imagination. Right now, Fugui is quite popular. Even Lady has taken an interest. Maybe I should lay low."
"Nothing is settled yet," Xiqiu smiled, "Though Lady lets Laiwang’s wife choose herself, there’s still a distinction between master and servant. How could Laiwang’s wife truly dare to choose? That’s why we have this current situation. But it’s good that it’s becoming a mess; Lady can see each house’s intentions from the chaos, and why can’t we?"
Chunyan and Siliu were startled, and outside, Sixing, who had also caught Xiqiu’s words, lifted the curtain and entered, holding the food box with a solemn expression.
Xiqiu continued, "First Master is soon heading to Yongzhou. According to past practice, the manor needs to decide which concubine and servants to take along. But this year, there’s no movement. Lady is busy with Dowager Marchioness Xuanning’s birthday celebration and can completely delay the maids’ departure, which has happened in past instances. But this year, she hurriedly brought it up and threw in the issue of Fugui. She wants to see who in the household is making sneaky moves after stirring things up."
As the maids grow older, there’s no guarantee they won’t harbor other thoughts — like trying to curry favor with First Master and getting promoted to concubine status, which is quite prestigious. Or running around to ensure their mistress accompanies First Master to Yongzhou, causing a hullabaloo. Lady won’t rest easy until she roots these people out.
Besides, Laiwang holds a very special position. Everyone in the house knows he holds significant sway with First Master. Marrying one’s maid into his family means gaining a solid backing in the household; how could Lady not take this seriously?
"This matter won’t be resolved anytime soon, so we need to keep our composure. How others act is their business; we just need to mind ourselves."
The three maids nodded earnestly, and Xiqiu told Siliu, "Don’t stay hungry, go eat. I have something else to tell you." Siliu nodded, jumped off the bed, quickly finished her meal, wiped her mouth, and gulped down a cup of tea, "I’m done eating, Miss, please speak."
Xiqiu chuckled, shaking her head, looking at Siliu helplessly. At this moment, outside, Nanny Song’s voice could be heard talking to Chunliu in the courtyard, "Why is no one here? Isn’t Miss in the room? Did she go to the main room?"
"I don’t know!" Chunliu also looked puzzled. Chunyan quietly pointed to the courtyard and whispered to Xiqiu, "Miss, should we go out?"
Xiqiu frowned, nodded and said, "Go out and see what’s happening. Just say I’m resting here. If she has something to do, let her go about it first. No need to wait on me here!"
Chunyan nodded, went out, and talked with Nanny Song for a while before re-entering with the curtain raised, "She said she came to see you, as she hadn’t seen you all afternoon and was thinking of you!"